


Dead One Walking

by NervousAliceCurious



Series: Poisonous Little World [6]
Category: Escape the Night (Web Series), The Mist - Stephen King
Genre: A Handprint, Corruption, Everyone Is A Skeptic, Frame-Up, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Murder scene, Rejected Corruption, Searching, Slightly More Destruction, Teeth, The Infamous Critter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-16
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-12-17 12:09:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21054176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NervousAliceCurious/pseuds/NervousAliceCurious
Summary: There's been a murder-but who's to blame?





	Dead One Walking

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, and welcome to Part Six-
> 
> Warning: Death, blood.

“…In the light of these grave losses”.

-The Lead Sister paused dramatically.

“It is important for us all to band together!!”

…

Murmurs through the assembled crowd…

“And embrace the faith of the Cursed God!!”

…

Alex:

“…Do we really want to put our trust into someone who’s Cursed?”

Lauren:

“Yeah, that’s what I thought-“

Gabbie:

“What’s he even done for us, anyway?”

Debra rolled her eyes.

Sandra scoffed.

Riley:

“He let me live during the invasion”.

Lucy:

“That’s right~he did…”

MatPat snarled.

“Oh yeah, because we _love_ a God who kills Tana, Kevin, and Jetpack Girl by extension while _you_ all get to live and try to sacrifice innocent lives!!”

“Not to mention burning up poor Joey…”

Rosanna’s voice was hoarse.

Her eyes, wet.

The loss of one of her bestest friends weighed heavily upon her shoulders.

They could tell.

Seeing this…

The two sisters had an idea.

Flashing each other wicked glances, they whispered into Riley’s ear…

“Ro…”

She knelt down beside her.

“You really loved him, didn’t you?”

“Mm-hm…”

She nodded…

More tears trickled down her cheeks.

“I just…I just _hate_ all this death-“

“Riley…”

Both Mat and Justine took a protective step forward.

“It’s okay”, the young girl reassured them.

“I’m only wanting to help”.

Mayor Janet raised an eyebrow…

But let her continue.

After all, she was the reasonable one.

Right?

-

“It must be hard…knowing that your efforts were ultimately in vain”.

“Yeah…”

The little baker sniffled.

“If only we were faster.

That’s what I keep coming to-“

“I know. I know it’s painful.

But you were _not_ to blame for this.

Not you, nor the rest of your Questmates”.

“I know, but it keeps coming up, and I keep trying to push it down, but it keeps staying-“

She closed her eyes.

The emotional pain getting to be too much.

“I want to go back…I want to rescue them all…”

“Maybe you can”.

She startled.

“-What!?”

“What’s she saying to you?” Colleen asked.

“The Cursed God-“

“What about him? Isn’t he mostly bad?”

“No, he’s-“

“Ro, whatever it is-“

Safiya’s voice held a hint of warning.

Riley leaned in closer.

“Listen.

I know you are loyal to Mat and the others, but think about this:

The Cursed God has the power to give you anything you can possibly think of.

Love, power-“

“But I already have love, and I don’t want power-“

“Not even the ability to travel back through time?”

…

“…He-“

“Yes”.

She smiled slightly at the other’s wide-eyed look.

“That’s what I was told”.

“…”

Her gaze flicked guiltily to the floor.

“Um…”

“Um?”

…

“Can I…think about it?”

The Three Witches smirked behind Riley.

“Of course”.

They’d got her.

-

“That’s it:

We’re leaving”.

MatPat tore through the store aisles like a hurricane, snatching up water bottles, snack bar tins, first-aid bandages-

“Roger that?”

Safiya had never seen him so agitated in her life.

-He stopped in his tracks.

Warily scanned the area for any eavesdroppers…

Then sighed.

“They’re trying to corrupt Ro”.

-He swallowed painfully.

“And I think it’s working”.

“-What’s working?”

Colleen.

“…We’re trying to remove a certain Jetsetter from the line of fire”, she paraphrased.

“Ohh…”

Her lips twisted.

“Right”.

“Where is she, anyway?”

Although the shiny lenses of his sunglasses were resolutely hiding his worry, the former Reporter still knew it was there.

“With Husky, I think-“

“Okay good.

We need to vacate this popsicle stand as soon as humanly possible”.

-

He was about to walk into the break room when he nearly ran into someone coming from the other direction!

“-Oh! Hey-“

“Sorry…”

They moved to hurry around him, but MatPat caught their wrist.

“Where’ve you been? You missed the Weird Sisters being amateur pastors again”.

“Good”.

“…Okay…”

He frowned.

“You alright?

You seem pale-“

“I’m fine”.

“…You sure?”

“…Do you know where Arthur is?”

“Arthur, as in the guy who told us all not to go out into the Mist a day ago?”

“Yeah”.

“No”.

“…”

“Why?”

-

Andrea B.:

“I don’t know”.

Andrea R.:

“Beats me”.

Manny:

“Isn’t he always hanging out with Sarah and Marvin?”

Eva:

“I don’t got a clue”.

Sierra:

“I think he went toward the back”.

_*Shivers*_

“Gives me the creeps…”

MatPat:

“Thanks”.

-

“Arthur?”

The Walking Coat took the lead.

Unarmed at first glance, but then again, Shane-

Still made him wonder.

“Arthur, we’d really love to talk to you”.

No answer.

“That’s weird…”

“Maybe he knows we’re onto him”.

They moved a CAUTION barrier out of the way.

MatPat nearly ran them over?

*

No…

_No no no-!_

Alison…

Calliope!

Hanging…

Beneath them, a bloody pentagram dripping from slashed-up arms.

I EXIST

The cords of a creeping plant tight around their necks.

I backed up until my spine hit the wall!

This couldn’t-

I knew how this looked, but it wasn’t-!!

“What the h*…”

He stood there for a good minute, jaw dropped.

“…This is…!!”

-He ran out of the room, screaming for help.

*

Meanwhile, I tried to understand this…

Those words, the murder-

It couldn’t be a coincidence, the way of death-!

“There you are~”

A voice in my-!?

“Hi Handsome.

You’re in trouble…”

-

“Everyone!”

His panicked shout instantly turned peoples’ heads-

“Alison, Calliope, they-!!”

“Have been killed”.

Lucy the fiendish redhead.

She shoved in the person in the Coat, smiling innocently as they rotated their sore shoulder.

“By him”.

*

“Wh-what!?

No-“

“B*, where’s your proof?” Nikita snapped.

“Right here!”

I gasped in pain as she tore off my glove-

And held up a leaf for all to see.

The Detective’s face drained of blood.

“Mat? What is it-“ Ro asked.

“I-“

He gulped.

“That’s what strangled them”.

…

**Uproar.**

“No f*ing way!” (Manny)

“We had someone like that among us the whole time!?” (Justine)

“Everyone, calm down! I’m sure there’s a reasonable explanation for this-“ (Mortimer)

“What the heck could possibly justify something like that!?” (Eva)

“Those were two of the nicest ladies I’d ever met!!” (Colleen)

“I can’t believe they’re gone…” (Sierra)

“Oh my God! Is he gonna kill us next-“ (Tyler)

“NO!”

Half the crowd flinched.

“No, I-“

How did I end up in the middle of this circle!?

Surrounded by afraid and angered faces-

“‘No’ what?” (Oli)

“Yeah, spit it out already!” (Gabbie)

“We don’t got all day!!” (Nikita)

“-Wait, who even is this guy?” (Husky)

“Don’t ask me! I don’t know-“ (Veronica)

“Whoever he is, I don’t like not knowing where he’s been”. (Wilmer)

“That’s right. You _have_ been awfully distant-from the very beginning, I’d say”. (Safiya)

“Isn’t that just coincidental”. (Alex)

“Sounds like somebody’s got something to hide?” (Lauren)

“I _don’t-!”_

“Then why the h* is _MatPat_ freaking out over you?” (Andrea R.)

“Yeah, he never lies”. (Rosanna)

“He too cute”. (Bretman)

“It’s-it’s not what you think-“

“Then what is it?” (Sarah)

“…Liar”. (Marvin)

“Explain”. (Eva)

“I didn’t hurt them, I swear!

I’d never hurt any of you-“

“How can we believe that?” (Justine)

“Yeah, you’re gonna have to show it-“ (Andrea B.)

“-Hold on a minute!”

Riley.

“I have an idea-I know how to settle this!”

I was relieved-

Then I saw the three witches.

“We put him outside”.

“We do WHAT!!?” Rosanna was horrified-

“We’re gonna throw him out”, Colleen repeated incredulously.

“We put him outside, and if he somehow doesn’t die out there, then obviously, he didn’t do it”.

“What does that prove?” Safiya seemed skeptical…

"Y-yeah", MatPat sputtered, "I'm not really sure-"

“If he is truly the one behind this, then the Cursed God should see to his end-and take him as a human sacrifice”.

“Oh _no_, not this again-“ Alex groaned.

“Th-throw me out-“

They-

“Yes, exactly”.

She draped an arm over my shoulder.

“It’s the only solution”.

They _wouldn’t…!_

“Only-“

“Yes”.

-!

“But something’s missing”.

I didn’t register it at first.

“Just a little drop of your blood-“

I didn’t register the burning ache in my stomach.

“There”.

She yanked out the blade, and I almost **fell.**

She’d had that in the bathroom…I’d…remembered-

My hand felt cold…

The wound kept bleeding even as I pressed my fingers over it...

A manic light flickering briefly in her eyes.

She pushed me-

Glass.

Shards-

I hit the door hard enough to shatter it.

“Oh my God!!” Nikita yelled-

“Go on. Get out of here”.

Feeling the sting of cuts all over, I winced, tried to see past the glare-

S-so many eyes on me…

I…

Wr-write me off…

Is that what…

_Is that what you’re thinking?_

_I can’t tell…_

_I…_

I never could.

_I just didn’t want you all to hate me…_

I guess I defeated myself.

-Razors sharp and tearing dug into my waist.

I was suddenly lifted into the air-

Thrown violently to the ground, bones complaining at the abuse-

I looked up through blurred-out vision into a maw filled with rows of shark-like teeth.

-

Rosanna shrieked as the praying-mantis thing snatched up the person out of the blue!

“What’s that!?” Justine yelped.

“What_ is_ that-“

A green handprint smeared onto the fractured pane.

Was all that was left.

-

No sooner had they lost their suspected murderer than another crisis broke.

Wrought by four simple words:

_“What have you done!?”_

**Author's Note:**

> Ouch. My heart-


End file.
